Elements, and specific isotopes thereof, may be formed by bombarding parent materials with appropriate radiation to cause a conversion to desired daughter isotopes. For example, precious metals and/or radioisotopes may be formed through such bombardment. Conventionally, particle accelerators or specially-designed, non-commercial test reactors are used to achieve such bombardment and produce desired isotopes in relatively small amounts.
Radioisotopes have a variety of medical and industrial applications stemming from their ability to emit discreet amounts and types of ionizing radiation and form useful daughter products. For example, radioisotopes are useful in cancer-related therapy, medical imaging and labeling technology, cancer and other disease diagnosis, and medical sterilization.
Radioisotopes having half-lives on the order of days or hours are conventionally produced by bombarding stable parent isotopes in accelerators or low-power, non-electricity-generating reactors. These accelerators or reactors are on-site at medical or industrial facilities or at nearby production facilities. Especially short-lived radioisotopes must be quickly transported due to the relatively quick decay time and the exact amounts of radioisotopes needed in particular applications. Further, on-site production of radioisotopes generally requires cumbersome and expensive irradiation and extraction equipment, which may be cost-, space-, and/or safety-prohibitive at end-use facilities.